North West · England · 72,507Boundary · 2023

Rochdale

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Dispatch
Apr 2026

A marginal seat — won by just 1,440 votes (3.6%) in 2024. Covers Rochdale, Littleborough and Milnrow. Population 105,584, notably young (median age 36 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 100% below the national average. Median income £25K (below average).

Rochdale's MP made headlines in June 2025 by breaking with the Labour majority on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill -- voting against the Bill at Third Reading and opposing two amendments that would have allowed voluntary stopping of eating and drinking to qualify someone as terminally ill. He simultaneously backed two other amendments aimed at tightening safeguards, suggesting a position more sceptical of the Bill's scope than opposed to reform outright. His stance profile reinforces this: he scores notably higher than his parliamentary colleagues on end-of-life autonomy and assisted dying safeguards, while sitting 13 percentage points below the party average on outright anti-assisted-dying sentiment -- a nuanced position that doesn't map neatly onto either campaign.

At 88% voting participation and 97.7% party alignment, Waugh is a reliable but not unconditional Labour vote. His speech record is substantial -- 246 contributions across 197 debates -- with economy and jobs, defence, and social care dominating his floor time. He votes strongly with Labour on workers' rights and progressive taxation, but scores low on pro-business and tough-on-crime stances relative to party norms. He has no current committee roles.

430
Commons votes
This parliament
£25k
Median income
HMRC · 2024
72.5k
Electorate
2024 GE

Lab regained this seat from WPB — last held it in 2019.

Current Member of Parliament

Paul Waugh

Paul Waugh

Labour and Co-operative Party

Paul Waugh is the Labour (Co-op) MP for Rochdale, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024.

Notable Votes

A procedural vote on whether to allow New Clause 16 to be formally considered as part of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at Report Stage, after proceedings had been interrupted on 13 June when an objection was raised. The debate excerpts do not reveal the substantive content of New Clause 16.

MP voted YesAgainst party majority

MPs voted on the Third Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill — the final Commons vote on whether to pass the assisted dying legislation in its amended form. Passing Third Reading sends the Bill to the House of Lords.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

Vote on whether to prevent someone from qualifying as 'terminally ill' under the assisted dying bill solely because they have voluntarily stopped eating and drinking. The amendment aimed to close a potential loophole where a person might use self-starvation to meet the terminal illness criteria they would not otherwise meet.

MP voted NoAgainst party majority

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Voting at a Glance

A marginal seat — won by just 1,440 votes (3.6%) in 2024. Covers Rochdale, Littleborough and Milnrow. Population 105,584, notably young (median age 36 vs 41 nationally). Recorded crime is 100% below the national average. Median income £25K (below average).

2024 General Election

§ 06This week in Westminster.Live · today’s sittingOrder Paper · refreshed daily

Waugh’s scheduled Commons activity this week — whipped divisions, oral questions, debates — drawn from the House of Commons Order Paper.

§ 07The record, at a glance.446 divisions voted

Two readings of the same data. Issue volume shows where Waugh has cast the most ballots — a proxy for engagement, not direction. Notable votes are the moments where the whip was free or where they broke ranks.

Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted · cumulative this Parliament
Taxation
97
Economy
90
Employment
43
Crime & Policing
39
Education
36
Welfare and Benefits
25
Notable votes
Free votes and rebellions — moments the MP’s own judgment matters more than the whip
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 1620 Jun 2025 · free vote
Aye
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Third Reading20 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Amendment 9420 Jun 2025 · free vote
No
§ 08The local picture.11 wards

Constituencies are not uniform. Below — the local council make-up, key facts worth knowing, and the neighbouring seats on either side.

WardCouncillorVotesParty
Balderstone KirkholtDaniel Joseph Meredith1,086Labour P
BamfordPhilip Michael Beal1,394Conserva
Central RochdaleFarooq Ahmed2,016Workers
HealeyShah Wazir1,086Labour P
KingswayDaalat Ali1,197Labour P
Littleborough LakesideTom Besford1,436Labour P
Milkstone DeeplishMinaam Ellahi1,812Workers
Milnrow NewheyAndy Kelly1,684Liberal
Smallbridge FirgroveJohn Aaron James Blundell1,094Labour P
Spotland FalingeFaisal Rana1,297Labour P
Wardle Shore West LittleboroughAdam Stuart Branton1,515Conserva
Population (2021 Census)
105,584
Electorate 72,507 · 2024 register
Median income
£24,500
HMRC SPI 2024
Households renting privately
20.3%
England average 20.0%
Schools
51
32 primary · 4 secondary
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